Creating Plot Around a Good Fictional Lie

Lies are not good. The Bible says: Thou shalt not lie. Good advice. Yet every one tells them. “Your new hair cut is original.” “That new color in your living room … it’s… Continue reading →

Mystery of a Novel

There will be spoilers about the TV series Revolution in this blog posting. J.J. Abrams is devious and not to be trusted. He leads you to believe something is true when in fact… Continue reading →

Pacing a Chapter

Recently, I posted Pacing of a Novel. I wrote about how pacing set the tone of a novel. In this post, I write about how the pacing of a scene can bring a… Continue reading →

Cliffhangers

I thought Changes, by Jim Butcher, of the Dresden Files, was the last of the series. I’ve read most of them twice and was settled that this was the last book I’d read… Continue reading →

Matt vs JJ

Matt Williams has claimed that JJ Abrams is ripping him off. He plans to sue. (He writes in jest. I think…   Anyway.) I wanted to know if he had a case. I was… Continue reading →

Being Deceptive

Being deceptive is a game between authors & readers, and screenplay writers & viewers. Writers aim to stump, mislead and surprise. Readers and viewers try to figure out what’s happening before the ending.… Continue reading →

More Story Twists

There’s a new Television show, Scandal. I’ve written about strong women characters and plot twits, Scandal falls neatly into what I’ve been writing about. I will warn you, this is a spoiler post.… Continue reading →

Character and Plot Twists

Ever make plans for your life? Set the path in motion and then something or some one unexpected comes along and rearranges your life? I went to college for Fine Arts. In the… Continue reading →

The Right Character Development

When an author decides on the next novel, he/she needs to decide what is the most important, the character or the world the story is set in. If the character is the most… Continue reading →

The Battle That Never Was

I remember reading a novel where the author made a big deal of an upcoming battle. He spent chapters talking about how important the battle was. His characters prepared, dressed, and rode out… Continue reading →